St. Thérèse is best known for her little way of serving God. She believed that we must all love and trust God completely, as a child loves and trusts their father. (Society of the Little Flower)
When Thérèse was ten, she became so sick that everyone thought she was dying. Her four sisters surrounded her in prayer and she joined them. As she prayed, a miracle occurred. Thérèse saw the statue of Mother Mary in her room smile at her, and she was cured.
From a young age, Thérèse desired to live a holy life and become a Saint. She carried a string of beads in her pocket to count the little sacrifices she made each day out of love of God.
Thérèse became a Carmelite nun, living secluded (away or apart) from the rest of the world. Since she knew that her simple life would never give her the opportunity to perform great works for God, she chose to love him in the smallest ways, often creating opportunities to make little sacrifices.
She ate the worst of the food without complaint, slept in the coldest bedroom without asking for another blanket, even continued working without telling anyone when she got sick. She looked every day for the simple little things she could do to show God’s love to others. She continued to smile and love even through the painful illness which led to her death.
Today, she continues to ask God to help all of us on Earth. Her teachings of simple acts of love help many people to grow closer to God.